Brave Girl
by vermilioun
Summary: She was a sweet and happy girl, but her life was so much more than laughs and smiles. Mavis Vermillion drabble about fears and a different kind of bravery


**_All characters __belong to Hiro Mashima_**

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_ Brave girl._

All her life, she was strong. _"__Smile for mama and papa, Mavis!__" "__We have to go now, be a good girl, okay?__" "__It__'__s okay, sweetie, there__'__s nothing to be afraid of.__" "__I__'__m sorry, Mavis, but there was an accident.__"_ Her little heart which knew so much love was shattered that day. But after the tears and the hopelessness she remembered her parents' words. _"__Fairies don__'__t come near crybabies, darling, so dry your tears, or else you__'__ll never see them.__" _

From that moment on she forged herself anew, a child of six years with a will of steel. Try as they might, no one on Tenrou Island could bend or break the girl. They beat her, cursed her, did everything they could to batter her spirit, but she only turned the other cheek and continued on.

_Brave girl. _

It was a day unlike any other. Her island home was rocked to the roots, blood soaking its ground. Of course, the things she cherished most were kept deep down, locked away where no one could reach them. But Tenrou was still her home, and the familiar faces, while they offered no comfort to her, provided some sort of stability, something to cling to. Now, her home was alight and all the things she thought as stable were trembling and crumbling. Nothing was right, not anymore.

She couldn't help the tears that fell when Zeira collapsed. In that moment she forgot all about the fairies and only thought of herself. Ever since her parents had passed she had suppressed the thought, the very selfish thought that kept worming its way into her mind. _I don__'__t want to be alone._ And now, with her village in ruins and her only source of solace lying unmoving on the ground, she cried for everything taken away from her in her short life, and everything that could have been.

_Brave girl._

It was a truth she would have to face sooner or later, that she knew, but as time went on she began to forget what was real and what wasn't; until the day _they_ arrived. Seven long years had passed since the day her life was essentially destroyed, but also seven years since her life began for the third time.

The treasure hunters were an unexpected surprise. She had lived for years on her island without anyone making contact with it, and suddenly they show up from nowhere. They intrigued her with their stories of adventure and mystery. Their world was so much bigger than hers, and she wanted to learn all she could about it. She could tell them everything about Tenrou Island, from how long it took to walk the perimeter of the beach to how many Curily lived on the island, but she knew nothing of the world outside.

When they offered to take her with them and show her what the rest of the world was like, she accepted wholeheartedly. Here was her chance to learn everything she could. The amount of knowledge out there was limitless and she was filled with so much radiant joy she felt as if she would burst. Of her infinite questions, one persisted and gnawed at her consciousness, begging to be asked. _"__Can Zeira come too?__"_ She received confused looks as an answer. Who was she talking about? There was no one else on the island, only the three treasure hunters and herself.

And so, once again, her life was torn down. Her deepest fear of being alone, her greatest wish to have someone by her side, formed illusions she believed to be reality. A child will always come up with friends that are unreal, but in time they outgrow the habit, instead taking on friends of flesh and blood. By herself for seven long years, she never had that chance to grow. A child desperate for company created someone to talk to and play with. It wasn't unrealistic, only tragic and draining when faced with the truth.

After days of wallowing in the revelation of things unreal, she began to grow once more, building on the hard lessons of the past and the will of steel she forged with her bare hands. She built new friendships of flesh and blood, and for the fourth time, her life began again.

_Brave girl._

Her life was filled with new colors after leaving her island home. She had never been blind, but on her journeys with the treasure hunters she discovered hues she never knew existed. She was grateful for the day they arrived on her doorstep, despite the pain that day brought, and cherished them with all the love in her heart. Her being overflowed with love and joy and kindness built up from years of loneliness; it made her all too happy to give it away and see the reactions it created in others. Even the cruelest dog's heart could be softened with a loving hand, and she inspired peace and happiness in all who knew her.

_Brave girl._

All stories came to an end at some point, she knew. But it seemed cruel that fate would deem hers one to be cut short. After she had finally found happiness, after she finally found somewhere to belong, it was ripped away from her.

It pierced through her heart like an arrow of tragedy and sorrow. The colors were fading and her beloved friends' faces were becoming blurred and unrecognizable. Soon she could no longer hear their cries or see their despair. She succumbed to the overwhelming darkness as her loved ones watched her light fade away.

The cry bubbled up from deep within her. Gloom surround her on all sides, and the crushing feeling of being alone suffocated her. Her greatest fear manifested, and now there was nothing she could do to help herself. She tried to cry out, only to find her sobs choked in her throat, unable to scream or beg for help. Suspended in misery for what could have been forever, she did nothing but curl into herself, trying to protect herself from the demons in her mind.

_Brave girl._

A whisper called to her in the darkness and, slowly, she began to tear down the walls she built. A pinpoint of light shone in the shadows, and she found herself drawn to it. Bit by bit she moved towards it. The light grew stronger and stronger and finally she could reach out and touch it. She grasped it, feeling love fill her again, washing away the bitter taste of loneliness. For the first time since entering the endless void she smiled. Although she could not tell, she radiated a brilliant light herself, a single star in the murky night.

The voice she had heard grew louder and spoke with gentle tones. A familiar figure appeared in front of her, dark hair tied back, looking every bit like she did the day the treasure hunters arrived. Behind the dark haired girl two people stood next to each other, looking at their daughter with pride and fondness.

The dark haired girl smiled and extended her hand to the girl who gleamed with brilliant light. _"__Come on, Mavis. It__'__s time to go home.__"_

_ Brave girl._

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**_Thoughts? Reviews are very welcome and encouraged!~_**

**_Unedited, just skimmed, so tell me if you see any mistakes ^^_**

**_vermilioun . tumblr . com_**


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